Iraq War veteran urges students to speak out

Iraq War veteran urges students to speak out
Josh Anusewicz

Staff Sgt. Eric Alva served in Iraq before coming out as openly gay and taking on an advocacy role against the Armed Forces' "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.


Staff Sgt. Eric Alva, a former U.S. Marine, used the inspiring words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when talking to Quinnipiac students about how their voices can change history, by standing up for what is right.

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter," said Alva, who visited Quinnipiac on April 15 in conjunction with the National Day of Silence, held on Friday, April 25, which brings attention to anti-Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transsexual (GLBT) actions from throughout the country.

Pols point fingers,vets lose limbs
Eric Alva, who lost a leg in Iraq, is set to waterski at Disabled Sports
Talk about not having a leg to stand on.
When I read the recent Washington Post stories about the despicable treatment some of our maimed Iraq veterans are getting at Walter Reed Army Hospital I also saw quotes in another story from this current administration saying that the new Democratic Congress doesn't care about our troops.
Reading the stories, I thought about the day I met some of these special vets.